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AB 25

Revises provisions relating to offenders. (BDR 16-296)

2025 Regular Session

Requires documentary citizenship proof to register, mandates government-issued ID for in-person voting and last-4 digit ID on mail ballots, and speeds ballot counting.

Approved by the Governor. Chapter 99.
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · AB 25

AB 25 — California Voter ID and Election Integrity Act of 2025

Author: DeMaio
Introduced: December 2, 2024
Status: From committee: Without further action pursuant to Joint Rule 62(a) (failed passage in Assembly Elections Committee, April 9, 2025)

Purpose

AB 25 would enact a package of changes the Legislature described as intended to “improve the integrity of state and local elections” by (1) requiring documentation of citizenship to register; (2) reinstating and standardizing voter identification at the polls and for vote‑by‑mail envelopes; (3) strengthening audits and remediation of signature review; (4) speeding ballot counting; and (5) incentivizing accurate voter rolls.

Key provisions

  • Registration and citizenship verification

    • Repeals current statutory authorization allowing a registrant to prove U.S. citizenship solely by certifying under penalty of perjury.
    • Requires registrants to provide “appropriate documentation of citizenship” with the affidavit of registration.
    • Prohibits registration when required documentation is not provided or citizenship cannot be verified.
    • Requires county elections officials to verify citizenship of persons registered in the county as of January 1, 2026; officials may request documentation to do so.

  • Voter ID requirements

    • Repeals the statutory prohibition on local governments requiring ID to vote.
    • Requires in‑person voters at polling places to present a valid government‑issued photo ID to a precinct board member.
    • Requires vote‑by‑mail voters to write the last 4 digits of that same ID on the ballot identification envelope; elections officials must confirm those digits match the ID listed on the voter’s registration before processing/counting the ballot.

  • Signature review audits and remediation

    • Directs the State Auditor to audit random samples of signature comparisons and report findings within 90 days after each election.
    • If an elections official has a signature comparison error rate ≥ 5%, the official must prepare a remediation plan and submit it to the Secretary of State.

  • Ballot counting and incentives

    • Requires counting of all ballots (except provisional ballots and mail ballots pending signature verification/curing) no later than 72 hours after the election.
    • If a county’s voter roster accuracy is found to be under 98% by State Auditor review, or if a county fails to meet the 72‑hour counting requirement, the county is barred from mailing a vote‑by‑mail ballot to every registered voter in the next statewide election (individual voters could still apply for a mail ballot).

  • Oversight and fiscal

    • Directs the State Auditor to periodically sample voter rosters to find persons who are not qualified electors.
    • Recognizes the bill creates additional duties for county elections officials and may be a state‑mandated local program; reimbursement language tied to existing Commission on State Mandates procedures.

Who would be affected

  • Voters: new documentary and ID requirements to register and to vote in person or by mail envelope.
  • County elections officials: new verification duties, reporting and remediation obligations, faster counting timelines, and potential restrictions on universal mail ballots.
  • State Auditor and Secretary of State: expanded audit, reporting, and oversight roles.

Procedural/timeline notes

  • Introduced Dec 2, 2024; amended and heard in committee in 2025.
  • Assembly Elections Committee: set for first hearing and failed passage April 9, 2025; reconsideration refused; bill returned from committee without further action under Joint Rule 62(a).
  • Several provisions reference dates/thresholds: citizenship verification for registrants as of Jan 1, 2026; 72‑hour counting requirement; 90‑day audit reporting; 98% roster accuracy threshold; 5% signature error threshold.

Considerations

  • The bill replaces current practice of citizenship attestation with documentary proof and changes longstanding California rules that prohibited ID requirements, which could raise administrative, legal, and access implications. Counties would incur additional operational duties flagged as potentially state‑mandated.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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